Engagements

From cities and anchor institutions to corporate clients, Steven brings a data​-​driven, results​-​focused, and collaborative approach to all of his engagements, leveraging his experience in strategy creation, implementation​,​ and relationship development.

His expertise includes: economic development, strategy creation, policy analysis, placemaking, innovation districts, anchor institutions, public-private partnerships, finance and incentives, real estate development, land use and zoning, knowledge dissemination, place branding, and public speaking.

Jerusalem Economic Development Strategy; Jerusalem

Developed strategy to ensure long-term competitiveness, resulting in a billion shekels for implementation from the Israeli government

Denver Shared and Inclusive Prosperity Strategy; Denver

Developed an engagement framework and strategy, on behalf of Mayor Hancock, for inclusive economic development and prosperity initiatives

Inter-American Development Bank; Washington, D.C.

Created a series of case study insights and best practices for growing the “orange (creative and knowledge) economy” in Latin America

Austin Mobility and Infrastructure Workforce Strategic Plan; Austin

Developed strategic plan to scale Austin’s training capacity and pipeline for the city’s growing mobility and infrastructure sector

Metro Portland Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy; Portland

Guided a comprehensive economic development strategy centered on the principles of economic growth, resilience, and equity

Newark Economic Development Strategy and Recovery Plan; Newark

Fashioned an economic development strategy and recovery plan for the City of Newark, including an action plan for the Newark Alliance

City of Tucson Economic Development Strategic Plan; Tucson

Developed an economic development strategic plan, centered on equity and leveraging the city’s multicultural assets

City of Scottsdale Economic Development Strategic Plan; Scottsdale

Crafted an economic development strategic plan, centered on resiliency and destination development

San Diego-Tijuana Bi-National Policy Recommendations; San Diego

Developed and presented policies for cross-border collaboration to the U.S. Depts. of Commerce, State, and Homeland Security

Northwest Arkansas and State of Arkansas Economic Post COVID-19 Recovery Plans; Bentonville

Collaborated with team of leading academics, economists and practitioners to author future-looking economic recovery plans for both Northwest Arkansas and the State of Arkansas

City of Houston Economic Development Marketing and Messaging Platform; Houston

Created a competitive identity and messaging platform to guide Houston’s economic development and destination marketing

City of Greenville Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan; Greenville

Lead the creation of a five-year economic development strategy and action plan to guide the city’s business attraction and retention efforts

Northwest Arkansas Council Regional Strategy and Action Plan; Bentonville

Crafted a five-year regional strategy for NWA, addressing the challenges of growth, talent attraction/ retention, startup development and more

City of Charlottesville Economic Development Strategic Plan; Charlottesville

Led the creation of economic development strategy centered on equity

City of Gilbert Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan, Gilbert

Developed an economic development strategy that balances livability and prosperity

City of Olathe Economic Development Strategy, Olathe

Created an economic development strategy to further the City’s cluster, talent, and downtown development

Quad Cities Destination Development, Davenport and Moline

Facilitated regional conversation to further destination development and shared resourcing

Town of Milton Economic Development Strategic Plan; Milton

Developed a five-year economic development strategic plan, including organizational and resource assessment

City of Mesquite Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Plan; Mesquite

Developed a five-year economic development strategy and implementation plan, positioning Mesquite for growth in North Texas

City of Brookings Economic Development Comprehensive Plan; Brookings

Created a comprehensive economic development plan to encourage greater cooperation among the City’s economic and workforce development partners

Downtown Austin Economic Recovery Keynote; Austin

Led Downtown Austin Alliance Board of Directors through a session to explore the impact of COVID-19 on future placemaking and downtown Austin

Texas Economic Development Association Keynote; Austin

Offered keynote address for the Texas Economic Development Association, outlining strategic principles for building a more inclusive Texas

Texas Municipal League Conference Keynote ; Austin

Offered keynote presentation for the Texas Municipal league, offering recovery strategies for Texas cities

Destination Tulsa 2020; Tulsa

Generated, in partnership with Resonance Consultancy, a competitive identity and plan to attract investment – business, talent, and visitors

Distrito Purísima-Alameda Urban Development Strategy; Monterrey

Produced a district plan for Distrito Purísima-Alameda and an anchor strategy for U-ERRE

Art Basel Cities; Buenos Aires

Evaluated Buenos Aries’ creative industries and developed go-to-market strategies for Art Basel Cities festival

Quad Cities Competitive Identity and Marketing Strategy; Davenport

Created a competitive identity for the attraction of investment and talent to the Quad Cities

Lynchburg Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Plan; Lynchburg

Produced economic development approach and implementation plan, focusing on inclusion and equity

South Bend-Elkhart Regional Identity and Marketing Plan; South Bend

Created, in collaboration with Resonance Consultancy, a regional identity for improving corporate and talent attraction

Boerne-Kendall County Economic Development and Innovation Roadmap; Boerne

Crafted a five-year economic development action plan and innovation roadmap for Borene-Kendall County (supported by UT-Austin’s IC2)

Prince George Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Plan; Prince George

Developed a five-year economic development strategy and implementation plan, including a competitive assessment

Columbia River Economic Development Strategic Plan; Vancouver

Advanced, in partnership with Leland Consulting Group, a five-year strategic plan for targeted economic growth

Bozeman Economic Development Marketing Strategy; Bozeman

Developed, in partnership with Bridge Consulting, an economic development marketing strategy and cluster profiles

Coeur d’Alene’s Economic Development Strategy and Master Plan; Coeur d’Alene

Devised economic development assessment and strategy to support the Coeur d’Alene’s community master plan

Ruidoso, New Mexico  Economic Development and Tourism Assessment; Ruidoso

Executed, in collaboration with Bridge Consulting, an economic development and tourism assessment

Big Sky Montana Community Marketing Profile; Big Sky

Created, in collaboration with Bridge Consulting, a community marketing profile for corporate and talent attraction

Stayton, Oregon Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan; Stayton

Authored, in partnership with Bridge Consulting, a five-year strategic plan for targeted economic growth

Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA) Strategic Advising; Austin

Served as an advisor/keynote speaker for the RECA’s policy efforts for influencing for Austin’s CodeNEXT program

Salmon Arm Competitive Identity and Economic Development Strategy; Salmon Arm

Crafted, in partnership with Resonance Consultancy, a community competitive identity and five-year economic development strategy

NYCEDC Jamaica Queens Neighborhood Branding and Placemaking; New York

Detailed, in partnership with Resonance Consultancy, a community branding and placemaking approach

Yukon Innovative Economy Strategy; Whitehouse

Assessed the Yukon’s creative and innovation economy, resulting in short- and long-term recommendations

CareerSource Suncoast State of Talent Conference; Sarasota

Featured as keynote conference speaker for Florida’s “State of Talent Conference,” offering thought leadership and best practices on talent attraction and retention

The Erie Community Foundation; Erie

Designed and implemented a community indicators dashboard to track Erie’s economic progress, talent and skill improvements, and quality of life enhancements

Newark Creative and Cultural Assessment; Newark

Outlined Newark’s creative and cultural assets, leading to improved support programs for creative businesses

Eugene Industry and Talent Assessment; Eugene

Developed industry and talent cluster forecast, improving attraction efforts and workforce programs

Southwestern Ohio Council on Higher Education (SOCHE) Community Engagement; Dayton

Delivered the Dayton Creative Communities Leadership Program, a yearlong initiative aimed at retaining talent

Knight Foundation Creative Communities Leadership Program; Miami and Various U.S. Cities

Created scalable community engagement program for the Foundation’s 23 investment communities

Portland-Vancouver Economic Development Strategy; Portland

Fashioned private-sector strategy for advancing area industry priorities and attracting/retaining talent

Washington, D.C. Talent Assessment and Strategy; Washington, D.C.

Authored talent study, creating a dialogue about workforce issues and leading to new community college programs

Federal Realty Investment Trust White Flint Sector Plan; Bethesda

Convened developers, elected officials, CEOs, and economic development practitioners to revisit the White Flint Sector Development Plan (Bethesda and Rockville, MD), resulting in a white paper outlining key priorities for igniting development

EDENS Inclusive Prosperity Framework; Washington, D.C.

Fashioned anchor development framework for Union Market, a large scale urban redevelopment project, including procurement priorities, placemaking, and neighborhood outreach

Silverstein Properties; New York

Developed a destination and development strategy, in collaboration with Resonance Consultancy, for a large-scale , mixed-use regional entertainment center

FIU Miami Urban Future Initiative Strategy; Miami

Created strategy for the Miami Urban Future Initiative, resulting in $1.2 million in funding from the Knight Foundation 

Kaufman Astoria Studios District Development Strategy; New York

Guided Kaufman Astoria Studios and its partners on the creation of an innovative and creative industries district in Queens, New York

Stephen F. Austin University Anchor Engagement Strategy; Nacogdoches

Crafted, in partnership with LBJ graduates, an anchor engagement strategy for SFA, outlining ways for boosting development in Deep East Texas

University of Texas Permian Basin Anchor Engagement Strategy; Midland-Odessa

Developed, in partnership with LBJ graduates, an anchor strategy for UTPB, offering insights for leading regional engagement

Calgary Municipal Land Corporation Redevelopment and Revisioning Workshop; Calgary

Led CMLC Board of Directors through a workshop to consider the impact of COVID-19 on future placemaking and redevelopment

Portland State University Workforce Development Alignment; Portland

Consulted with Portland State University leadership on a plan to align the University’s degree offering with regional workforce needs

University of Texas at Arlington Engagement Plan; Arlington

Advised UTA President James Spaniolo, as a Visiting Scholar, on how to strengthen the University’s regional position as a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship

Philadelphia Inclusive Prosperity Engagement Strategy; Philadelphia

Created, in collaboration with Richard Florida, an inclusive prosperity engagement strategy for regional anchors: University City Science Center, Drexel University and Thomas Jefferson University

Delaware Economic Recovery Keynote and Recommendations; Dover

Offered keynote and strategic advice about economic recovery to Delaware  Technical College

Creative Industries Study and Belas Artes University Engagement Plan; Sao Paulo

Authored creative industries report, leading to curriculum review and engagement plan for Brazil’s largest design school

Utah Urban Land Institute Trends Conference; Salt Lake City

Served as keynote speaker for the Utah ULI Trends conference, presenting a message about the importance of inclusive development

CEDIM Masters of Business Innovation Program; Monterrey and Mexico City

Worked with CEDIM leadership to develop and scale Masters program across Mexico and serve as a professor

Noosa Australia Creative Economy Assessment and Growth Strategy; Noosa

Consulted with Stockwell Properties and regional government on urban and community development strategies

Emaar Properties Community Engagement; Vancouver

Led, in partnership with Emaar, community visioning and masterplan workshops with First Nation communities

Converse Creative Class Marketing; Boston

Crafted Jack Purcell go-to-market plan, focusing on four U.S. markets, London, and Beijing

Kraft Peanut Butter Community Activation Plan; Toronto

Developed, in partnership with Edelman, Kraft’s community activation plan, including target cities, partners, and messaging

Starwood Hotel Site Selection Strategy; New York

Provided site selection strategy for 15 global locations and curated content for the “creative class” consumer

Downtown Project and Zappos Community Engagement; Las Vegas

Advised Zappos’ CEO Tony Hsieh and city officials on strategies for redeveloping downtown Las Vegas

Cirque du Soleil Site Selection Assessment; Montreal

Advised on North America target markets, leading to company’s “most successful site strategy for performances”

Prudential; Newark

Consulted on future growth scenarios and projections for urbanization, including city needs and challenges

Audi Community and Urban Engagement; New York

Partnered in the creation of the Audi Urban Future Initiative, a program to improve urban mobility

LE Luxury Travel; Miami

Delivered a series of industry workshops, for connecting luxury travel brands to the “creative class” consumer

Pinewood Studios Site Selection Study; London

Guided one of the world’s largest film studios on the impact of creative clusters, resulting in locational insights

Genentech Global Leadership Forum; San Francisco

Offered executive education sessions about the importance of location to personal and business growth

Philips Livable Cities Award; Amsterdam

Created, in partnership with CNN, award program to improve the urban resident health, resulting in 450 entries from 29 countries

onefinestay Site Selection; London

Informed onefinestay’s organizational and marketing strategy for targeting the “creative class” consumer

BMW Creative Class Marketing Strategy; Washington, D.C.

Informed, in collaboration with GSD&M, the “Idea Class” campaign, hailed as “one of its most successful ad campaigns for BMW”